Kolkata Knight Riders set up a first qualifier match against table-toppers Delhi Daredevils as they took the No. 2 spot with a comfortable win over Pune Warriors. Like they had done against Mumbai Indians in their previous game, Knight Riders posted a decent total on a difficult pitch and their spinners choked the Warriors batsmen into a futile crawl. The home side ended a second disappointing season with their ninth consecutive defeat, an IPL record, and one that involved some questionable selections.
On a slow and low pitch which Man-of-the-Match Shakib Al Hasan said reminded him of Bangladesh, Warriors gave only two overs to Ali Murtaza, the lone specialist spinner they played ahead of their two first-choice spinners, Murali Kartik and Rahul Sharma. While Shakib, the only batsman on either side to feel at home on the pitch, rode his luck to provide the boost Knight Riders' stumbling innings needed, Warriors left out his Bangladesh team-mate Tamim Iqbal for the 16th and final time this season.
Shakib's onslaught and his 67-run stand with Brendon McCullum were crucial given Knight Riders did not have the luxury of a breezy start from the in-form Gautam Gambhir. McCullum, too, struggled to adapt his attacking game to the lack of pace but managed to keep the runs coming.
Knight Riders reached 50 as late as the 12th over, when the innings shifted gears rapidly. From 49 for 2 after 11 overs, Knight Riders took 87 off the next nine, largely due to Shakib. It was McCullum, though, who began the onslaught, pulling and swinging Ashish Nehra for consecutive fours.